Anchor apparatus



June 8, 1954 R. w. BROWN ANCHOR APPARATUS Filed July 9, 1951 `Hob/05cm I/V. Brown JNVENTOR. j

BY l

A TTOR/VE YJ Patented `lune 8, Y1954 by Amesne assignments, to United States Lift Slab Corporation, Austin, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Appication July 9, 1951, serial No. 235,874

s i4 Claims.

l This invention relates to an apparatus wherein a rod or the like is anchored in a member having an opening into which the rod extends and to an anchoring apparatus insertable around the rod after it has been received in said opening; In a copending application bearing Serial Number 179,024, iiled August 12, 1950, there is described a building method 'and apparatus wherein ceiling or roof slabs of a building can be formed or poured at one level and then raised to another level. The slabs are usually poured around vertical columns which are to bear the` lifting load and which are surmounted by a lifting means, the latter being connected to the slab by lifting rods. Also; transfer rods may be provided between the slab and the column to bear the load of the slab when it is desired to release the tension on the lifting rods. 'The connections between the lifting and transfer rods and the slab are effected with the aid of lifting collars slidably received around thercolumns and whose purpose is to make possible the efficient securing of the lifting rods and transfer rods to the slab as well as to provide bearings around the columns and re-inforcing means for receiving parts by which the slabs can be supported on the columns once they are raised to their ultimate position thereon.

In attaching the lifting and transfer rodsto the lifting collars, provision must be made for a iiexible connection therebetween in order to eliminate stresses in the rods or collars due to misalignment, Such flexible connection can be provided by passing the rods into openings in the lifting collars and then connecting suitable anchoring means to the rods for preventing their Withdrawal from the lifting collars and yet permitting a pivoting movement thereof about the anchoring means without causing undesired stresses to develop. Since the lifting collars are placed in position around the columns prior to pouring the slabs, ready access to the underside of the collars for connecting any such anchoring means to a rod is not available.

Heretofore, for this reason, anchoring means for the rods have had to be positioned under the collar` before the slab was poured and to remain in such position during the curing period of the slab while the rods and other lifting equipment were in the meantime moved from job to job. As the slabs are often cured for a considerable period of time before being lifted into such position that the anchoring means can be removed for further use,y it has been necessary to provide a plurality of anchoring means for each rod so that there has resulted a large investment in such anchoring means for each rod employed. It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to `possess an anchoring means which could easily be positioned to anchor a rod to a lifting collar or the like after the slabV has been poured and cured and just before it is lifted into position so that only a single anchoring means need be provided for each rod.

One object of this invention isto provide an apparatus wherein a rod or the like can be anchored in an opening in a member to 4which access can be had from only one side.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus wherein a 'rod or the like can be anchored to a member having an opening therein for receiving the rod, the anchoring' means being adapted to be inserted into the opening from the saine side of the member as the rod is inserted. l

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for connecting a rod or the like to a member by insertion of an anchoring means into an opening in the member into which the rod is received and yet to permit movement yor misalignment of the rod with respect to the member without developing excessive stresses in either.

Another object of this invention is to provide a segmented bushing receivable in an opening in a member and around a rod or the like for bridging across the opening between the rod and the member to anchor the rod in the member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bushing receivable in an opening in a member around a rod or the like received therein and having an outwardly extending abutment surface or shoulder adapted to abut against a complementary abutment surface on the member and contiguous with the walls of the opening, the bushing being divided into segments each having a maximum lateral dimension su'iciently small to permit the segments to be passed through the opening around said rod.

Even another object of this invention is to provide a segmented bushing having a pair of oppositely facing bearing surfaces laterally offset from each other, the edgewise faces of at least one segment being spaced apart at their outermost points by a distance no greater than that at their innermost points.

Still yet another object of this invention is to provide a bushing segment rhaving opfpositely facing bearing surfaces laterally olfsetfrom each other and having edgewise faces parallel or o'twardly convergent with each other,

Yet another object is to provide an apparatus wherein a rod or the like is received in an opening in a member and then anchored to the member by an anchoring means including a segmented bushing adapted to be inserted around the rod after the same has been received in the opening and from the same side of said member from whence the rod is received and further including means for positioning and maintaining the bushing segments in operative positions.

Even yet another object is to provide an apparatus wherein a rod or the like is received in an opening in a member for anchoring to the latter, the anchoring being accomplished by a bushing divided into segments whereby the segments can be inserted through the opening after the rod has been received therein and from the same side of the member as from which the rod is received, the bushing segments having an outwardly extending shoulder for bridging the space between the rod and the member to provide a force transmitting connection therebetween, the bushing segments being properly positioned by a mandrel or the like.

Further objects, advantages and features of this invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the written specification, the appended claims and the attached drawings where- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative embodiment of the apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the segments forming a part of the bushing of this invention.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the several views to designate like parts.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a member, illustrated herein as a lifting collar IB employed in accordance with the aboveidentied copending patent application, disposed in slidable fashion around column Il. It is to be understood that only a portion of the lifting collar has been illustrated for the sake of simplicity and that it will preferably extend en- .f'

Lifting collar ill can have an outwardly eX- tending flange i2 from which depends a skirt i3 for supporting the flange away from the surface on which the slab id is to be poured. Extending upwardly from iiange l2 is a tubular anchor and guide member i5 deiining an opening la in the member and which can be formed integrally with a central guide portion I6 having an opening il therein for receiving column i i. t will thus be seen that there is illustrated a member having a single face or surface to which access can be had.

Receivable in opening [5c in` lifting collar IB is a rod I3 having a laterally extending enlargement such as nut i9, the latter being threadedly attached thereto. The maximum lateral dimension of the enlargement should be suiciently small that the enlargement can be passed into opening a and yet suiiciently large with respect to the lateral dimensions of rod 8 to provide an outwardly extending bearing area or surface 19a adjacent the periphery of opening 15d as will be more fully explained below.

In accordance with this invention, rod i3, including the enlargement thereon, can be passed into opening la and then anchored therein t0 prevent its withdrawal in the direction from whence it was inserted and to provide a stress transmitting connection between the rod and collar I0. The anchoring means comprises a segmented bushing 2B and a positioning and maintaining means shown as a hollow mandrel 2|, adapted to be inserted into operative position in opening i5a from the same side of collar I0 as rod I8 is inserted.

Bushing 2B is provided with a pair of oppositely facing bearing surfaces longitudinally and laterally offset from each other. As illustrated in the drawings, one of these bearing surfaces is a laterally outward extending bearing area provided by shoulder 22 on its upper or endwise face, the latter preferably facing toward and remote from one end of the bushing. Thus, shoulder 22 is preferably intermediate the ends of the bushing and still more preferably adjacent one end thereof. The other bearing surface provided on the bushing longitudinally and laterally offset from the bearing surface of shoulder 22 is shown in the drawings as the surface on the end of the bushing abutting against bearing surface 19a of nut i9.

The outwardly extending bearing surface of bushing 26 as provided by the endwise face of shoulder 22 is adapted to abut against an opposing endwise abutment surface, the latter being carried by collar il) so as to be diverging laterally from the walls of opening 15d. and facing away from the accessible surface of the collar. Such a surface can be shoulder 23 carried by collar il! contiguous with the walls of the opening and having an annular bearing surface. Shoulder 23 can be formed at the juncture between openings of different cross-sectional size in collar I0.

Bushing 20 is divided longitudinally into segments, illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 as segments 20a, 20D, 2&0, and 2M, adapted to be inserted through opening i5a after rod I8 has been received therein and to be positioned with shoulder 22 overlying shoulder 23 in abutting relationship. The maximum lateral dimension of a segment should be less than the corresponding maximum lateral dimension in opening iEa. between the wall thereof and rod i8 available for passage of the segment thereinto. At least one segment of the bushing is'constructed so as to pass laterally inwardly through the gap provided by the assembly, with a portion of the edgewise faces of adjacent segments abutting, of all said segments except one. Said one segment being free to pass laterally inwardly a distance at least as great as the radial distance between the outer periphery of the bushing and the outermost point on shoulder 22. Such a construction may take the form of a segment with edgewise faces confined between parallel planes passing through the juncture of a portion of the edgewise faces with the inner concave face of the segment. In other words at least one segment of the bushing is constructcd so as to have the edgewise faces thereof spaced apart at the juncture of such faces with the outer periphery of shoulder 22, no greater than the distance between such faces at their juncture with the inner periphery of the segment. As shown in Fig. 2, this provides a notched out area between the adjacent bushing segments so that they can be individually inserted in operative position as shown. Thus, with this construction, rod IB and nut l!! can be passed into opening |50; until the end of the nut nearest the accessible surface of collar i0 (bearing surface 19a) is `suiiiciently removed from shoulder 23 to provide a. space therebetweenfor receiving shoulder 22 so that the bushing segments can be inserted into opening la from the same side of collar I as rod I3 is inserted and positioned therearound. The cylindrical portion 2d of the bushing adjacent the outwardly extending shoulder and extending into opening Mia can be arranged to t snugly against the wall of the opening as shown in Fig. l.

Means are provided for positioning and maintaining the segments of bushing 20 in proper position as shown in Fig. 1 and to ensure that each segment will be forced laterally outwardly so that the bearing surface between shoulders 22 and 23 will be fully utilized. Such means can comprise a hollow mandrel ZI received around rod I8 and positioned as shown in Fig. l after the bushing segments have been inserted in the opening. The external configuration of the inandrel should be such that its outer maximum lateral dimension in the plane of shoulder 22 is substantially the same or only slightly less than the corresponding inner dimension of bushing 2S when assembled. With such construction and when positioned inside of the bushing, it will cause the lower ends of the segments to oe forced outwardly so that shoulder 22 will fully overlie shoulder 23. The internal opening in the mandrel should be sumciently large to provide adequate clearance around rod I8 to permit limited pivotal movement of the same about the anchoring means.

One end of mandrel 2| can have an outwardly turned flange 2Ia to support the mandrel on the bushing.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bushing segments can have their edgewise faces sloped inwardly as at 25 towards the end most removed from shoulder 22 so that such end has a lateral peripheral dimension less than the corresponding dimension at the other end of the segment. When constructed in this manner and particularly when the shoulder ends of the bushing segments are in abutment as in Fig. 2 so that the segments must be properly spaced peripherally before the last segment can be completely inserted, the sloping sides permit such last segment to be wedged between adjoining segments to force the latter into proper position for seating of the i' last segment.

With respect to the spacing between bearing surface ida of nut i9 and shoulder 23, rod i8 should be positionable in opening ia so that such spacing is sumcient to permit shoulder 23 of each segment to be slid thereinto and yet insufficient to permit the entire segment to slide through such spacing so as to drop completely out of the apparatus or to have portion 24 become wedged between nut I9 and shoulder 23. With a collar I0 as shown in the drawings, the vertical distance between shoulder 23 and the bottom edge of skirt I3 can be so proportioned with respect to the length of nut I9 that when the nut rests on the same surface as skirt I3, the spacing between bearing area IBc and shoulder 23 will be as set forth above. If it is desired to make the vertical distance less, then nut le can be turned upwardly on rod I8 to provide the proper spacing when the end of the rod is resting on the same surface as skirt i3.

Bearing surface Ia on nut I9 and the correspondng abutting surface on the end of the bushing segments is preferably spherical in congura- .tion with the radius thereof intersecting the 6 center-line or" rod I8 4at a point such that bearing surface Illa is convexe-spherical and the vcorresponding surface on'the segments is concavospherical.

Bearing area Illa and the corresponding abutting surface on the ends ofthe segments should be of suflicient area to withstand the stress applied by rod I 8 withoutmushrooming the segments or the nut. In this respect, the face of shoulder 22 adjacent bearing area Illa is preferably a continuationof the end of the bushing to provide an adequate bearing area when rod It is badly misaligned. The bearing area between shoulders 22 and 23 must be sucient to withstand the stress from rod I8. It is to be noted that the thickness of shoulder 22 can be made great enough to bear the shear stress imposed by rod I3 when it is pulled to move co1- lar I.

It is believed that the operation of the apparatus of this invention is apparent from the foregoing. However, a brief description will be offered for the sake of emuring a complete disclosure.

With the apparatus elements constructed as shown in the drawing, rod I8 and nut I8 can be inserted through opening I5a until nut I9 rests on the surface supporting collar Iil. The segments 20a, b, c, vand d can then be successively dropped into the opening around the rod using a pry bar or the like, if desired, to aid in their preliminary positioning peripherally around the wall of opening ld as well as to at least partially push shoulder 22 outwardly to overlie shoulder Mandrel ZI previously positioned on rod I8 can be passedfdownwardly around rod I8 and pressed into the position shown in Fig. l thereby forcing shoulder 22 outwardly to the fullest extent. Upon movement of rod I8 in the direction from whence it was inserted, the bushing segments will bear against nut I9 and move to become seated against shoulder 23. The apparatus is then in operative position.

When it is desired to remove rod I3 from member Ill, nut I9 can be unscrewed thereby permitting the bushing segments and mandrel to fall from openingla. As an alternate rod i3 with nut I9 in place can be lowered a suiiicient distance to allow the segments to be displaced laterally from around mandrel 2l.

From the foregoing it vwill be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcornbinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

vAs many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown'in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is vclaimed is:

l. An apparatus which comprises, in combina" tio-n, a member having a surface and an opening therein of substantial depth,ran endwise abutment surface carried by said' member contiguous with'the wall `of said opening and facing away from said surface, a rod having an outwardly extending bearing surface thereon adapted to be inserted into said opening past said abutment surface and located substantially in said opening, a segmented bushing having rst and second oppositely facing bearing surfaces offset from each other, said first bearing surface bearing against said abutment surface carried by said member and the second against the bearing surface or said rod, each of the segments of said bushing having a maximum lateral dimension less than the maximum lateral dimension available between said rod and the wall of said opening in said member so that said segments can be inserted into said opening from the same direction from whence the rod was inserted, and means for positioning and maintaining the segments in said opening.

2. An apparatus which comprises, in combination, a member having an opening of substantial depth therein, a shoulder contiguous to the wall of said opening and carried by said member, a rod having an enlargement thereon adapted to be inserted into said opening past said shoulder and located substantially in said opening, a longitudinally segmented bushing having iirst and second oppositely facing bearing surfaces laterally offset from each other, said first surface abutting against said shoulder and said second surface abutting said enlargement to bear against the latter to thereby provide a stress transmitting connection between said rod and said member, the maximum lateral dimension of any of said segments being less than the maximum lateral dimension then available for passage thereof between said rod and the wall of said opening and the edgewise faces of at least one segment being confined within parallel planes passing through the junctures of portions of the edgewise faces `with the internal concave face of the bushing whereby said segments can be inserted into said opening from the same direction from which the rod was inserted to assemble said bushing around said rod after the latter is inserted into said opening, and means for positioning and maintaining the segments of said bushing with the first bearing surface thereon overlying the shoulder on said member.

3. An apparatus which comprises, in combination, a member having a face and having an opening therethrough, a rst shoulder carried by said member contiguous with the wall of said opening, a rod having an enlargement thereon adapted to be inserted through said opening from the face of said member past said iirst shoulder and located substantially in said opening to define a space between the portion of said enlargement closest to said face and said rst shoulder, a bushing having a laterally extending shoulder and providing a stress transmitting connection within said space and between said enlargement and said lirst shoulder, said bushing being longitudinally divided into at least two segments having a maximum lateral dimension less than the maximum lateral dimension available for passage thereof between said rod and the wall of said opening whereby Said segments can be inserted into said opening from the face of said member to position said laterally extending shoulder in abutment with said rst shoulder carried by said member and a means received in said bushing to position the segments thereof laterally outward in said opening.

4. The combination which comprises a member having a face and an opening extending thereinto from said face to a substantial depth, a rst shoulder contiguous with the wall of said opening and having a bearing surface lfacing away from said face, a rod having an enlargement thereon adapted to be inserted into said opening from the direction of the face of said member and located substantially in said opening, said enlargement having a bearing surface facing said face from a point more remote therefrom than the bearing surface of said first shoulder, a bushing divided into longitudinal segments having a maximum lateral dimension less than the maximum lateral dimension available between said rod and the wall of said opening so that the segments can be inserted therebetween from said face to be positioned inside of said opening, said bushing having a laterally outward extending shoulder overlying the bearing area of said first shoulder and also having a bearing area more removed from said face than said outward extending shoulder and bearing against the bearing surface of said enlargement whereby there is provided a stress transmitting connection between said rod and said member which anchors said rod in said opening and a hollow mandrel around said rod and inside said bushing pressing the segments of said bushing laterally outward said opening to ensure that the outward extending shoulder thereon overlies said first shoulder of said member.

5. The combination of claim e wherein said segments of said bushing have their sides sloping inwardly towards their end closest to said face.

6. The combination which comprises, a member having an opening therein extending from a face of said member, a rst shoulder around the wall of said opening and having a bearing surface facing away from said face, a rod having an enlargement received through said opening, the enlargement having a bearing surface facing said face and positioned inwardly of said iirst shoulder at a point more remote from said face than the bearing surface of said first shoulder, a bushing received around the wall of said opening and having its end most remote from said surface in abutment with the bearing surface of said enlargement, a laterally outward extending shoulder on said bushing intermediate its ends and overlying the bearing surface of said first shoulder, said bushing being divided into segments having a maximum lateral dimension less than the maximum lateral dimension of the space available between said rod and the wall of said opening whereby the bushing segments can be inserted into said opening from the same direction as said rod is inserted, and a hollow mandrel within said bushing positioning the segments thereof laterally outward so that the outward extending shoulder of said bushing overlies said rst shoulder.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said bearing surface of said enlargement and the end of said bushing in abutment therewith are formed to provide a spherical bearing seat.

8. The combination which comprises, a member having a face and a cylindrical opening thereinto of substantial depth, a first shoulder formed around the wall of said opening and having an annular bearing surface facing away from said face, a rod having an enlargement receivable through said opening from the direction of said face, the enlargement having an annular spherical bearing surface facing said face and positioned inwardly of said first shoulder at a point more remote from said face than the bearing surface of said iirst shoulder, an annular bushing positioned within said opening around said rod between said enlargement and said face, a laterally extending shoulder on said bushing adjacent its end nearest said enlargement, said laterally extending shoulder having a bearing surface overlying and in abutment with the bearing surface of said rst shoulder, the end of said bushing adjacent said laterally extending shoulder having a spherical bearing surface complementary to the spherical bearing surface of said enlargement and in abutment therewith, said bushing being divided longitudinally into segments having a maximum lateral dimension less than the maximum lateral dimension available between said rod and the wall of said opening for passage of the segments therethrough, and an annular mandrel within said bushing positioning said segments laterally outward in said opening to cause said laterally extending shoulder of said bushing to overlie said first shoulder on said member.

9. An anchor for a rod which comprises, in combination, a longitudinally segmented bushing having a laterally outward extending shoulder having one of its faces seated against an opposing bearing surface around an opening in which the bushing is to be received, the end of said bushing opposite said face of said shoulder having a bearing surface in abutment with an opposing bearing surface on a rod receivable through said bushing, the maximum lateral dimension of the segments of said bushing being less than the maximum lateral dimension between the wall of the opening in which it is received and the rod to be anchored in said opening whereby the segments can be inserted into said opening after said rod is received therein and from the same direction as from which the rod is received.

10. The anchor of claim 9 wherein said bushing is annular and wherein the bearing surface at its end is spherically shaped.

11. The anchor of claim 9 wherein the segments of said bushing have their sides sloping inwardly towards the end thereof most removed from said shoulder.

12. An anchor for a rod which comprises, in combination, a longitudinally segmented bushing having a laterally outward extending shoulder` with one of its faces adapted to be seated against l an abutment around an opening in which the bushing is to be received, the end of said bushing opposite said face of said shoulder having a bearing area adapted to be in abutment with an opposing bearing area on a rod receivable through said bushing, the maximum lateral dimension of the segments of said bushing being less than the maximum lateral dimension bee tween the wall of the opening in which it is to be received and the rod to be anchored in said opening whereby the segments can be inserted into said opening after said rod is received therein and from the same direction as from which the rod is received, and a hollow mandrel within said bushing adapted to position said segments laterally outwardly in an opening in which they are to be received.

13. An apparatus for anchoring a rod in an opening in a member which comprises, an annular bushing receivable in the opening in which the rod is to be received, a laterally outward extending shoulder on said bushing and having one of its faces adapted to be seated against an abutment around said opening, said shoulder being adjacent to one end of said bushing so that its other face is a continuation of such end to form a bearing area laterally inward of first said face and oppositely facing therefrom, said bearing area being concave-spherical, said bushing being longitudinally divided into segments having a maximum lateral dimension less than the maximum lateral dimension available between the wall of the opening in which they are to be received and the rod to be anchored in said opening, and an annular mandrel having an external diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of said bushing in a plane through said. shoulder thereon when said bushing is assembled in operative position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the sides of said segments are sloped inwardly towards the end of the segments most removed from said spherical bearing area.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATE-NTS Haseltine Aug. 17, 1943 

